WASHINGTON, D.C. – USDA/APHIS announced that the Horse Protection Act (HPA) will delay the amendments of the final rule to February 1, 2026. The American Horse Council recently sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture, Brook Rollins, Dr. Michael Watson, Administrator USDA/APHIS and Dr. Sarah Helming, Deputy Administrator USDA-Animal Care requesting postponement and opening a comment period for input on the HPA.
The comment period opens March 21, 2025, and will be open for 60-days.
According to USDA, there will be no regulatory changes between the 2024 show season and the 2025 show season. This includes a stay on enforcing the new requirement that was to take effect April 2, 2025, mandating that competition and event management of any equine event held in the United States that is covered under the Act, register with and report their competition or event to USDA/APHIS.
Based on this recent USDA announcement, the written notification to USDA of covered events is NOT required. The full USDA stakeholder bulletin with details of the HPA focus for the 2025 show season can be found by clicking here.
The Horse Protection Act is a federal law instituted in 1970 that prohibits sored horses from participating in shows, exhibitions, and sales. The law also prohibits transportation of sored horses to and from these events. All horses are included at all covered events. Events where speed is the primary factor, rodeo events, parades, and trail rides are excluded.
USDA and its Horse Protection team will continue to consider the next steps, including additional postponement, and will continue to seek stakeholder input. Additionally, the USDA announced that Dr. Emily Robertson will lead USDA’s Horse Protection program for the 2025 season.
Western Justice reported earlier that the implementation and enforcement of new rules under HPA would encompass all breeds of horses, all horse show events from local horse shows, state fairs, and 4H shows to Pony Club, Polo, and Dressage to regional and national association and affiliate horse shows and more.
The new rules would also have an impact on all horse sales.
